Award-winning filmmaker Lisa Jackson visits Willamette April 4

The lecture is free and open to the public, and it will take place at 7 p.m. in Ford Hall, Room 122.

Jackson says her films address challenging issues by blending a variety of genres — including animation, documentaries and musicals.

“I use film creatively to tell often-difficult stories, from my own history with my mother, to foster kids, to violence against native women,” Jackson says.

“Despite the challenging subject matter, my aim is to make these stories accessible — even funny or irreverent at times — to bring a broader awareness to these issues.”

Jackson is Anishinaabe and has a BFA in film production from Siman Fraser University. She has received numerous awards, including the inaugural ImagineNative Alliance-Atlantis Mentorship Award in 2004 and the Vancouver Arts Award for Emerging Media Artist in 2005.

In 2012, the ReelWorld Festival named her a Trailblazer. Her films include “Parkdale” (2011), “Reservation Soldiers” (2007) and “Suckerfish” (2004).

Jackson’s visit is sponsored by the Native American Enlightenment Association and the Indian Country Conversations Series.